Device for holding firecrackers and the like



p 6, 1938. R. E. SCHOOLEY 2,129,039

DEVICE FOR HOLDING FIRECRACKERS AND THE LIKE Filed March 19, 1937 3 nventor FoBerfE Jcfioa/ey (Ittorneg Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES DEVICEFOR HOLDING FIRECRACKERS AND THE LIKE Robert E. Schooley, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application March 19,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for holdin firecrackers or like pyrotechnic articles, and it is particularly concerned with the provision of a safe and simple means which can be utilized for such purposes.

While I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to provide a stick having means thereon for holding a, firecracker, which may be held in the hand after the firecracker is ignited, such holding devices with which I am familiar have been open to a number of practical objections. As such holders are attractive to children, they must have a reasonable degree of ruggedness, but must be quite simple to operate. Likewise, they must be inexpensive, since they are used only infrequently on the occasion of holidays,and are apt to be lost or discarded before a subsequent occasion occurs. They must not only be sufficiently strong to withstand the rough usage to which children subject their toys, but also resistant to the force of the explosion of the firecracker.

The essential object of the present invention is to devise a holder which will satisfactorily meet the foregoing requirements. The nature of the invention may be readily understood from the accompanying description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device, with a firecracker held therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view; and

Fig. 3 is a plan of the invention.

The device comprises a wooden stick II], which may be held in the hand during use, having a metal ferrule l l secured to one end thereof. The ferrule consists of a cylindrical band l2 which may be pressed tightly on the end of the stick, and an integrally formed V-shaped trough l3, the apex of which is substantially continuous with the lower trace of the cylindrical portion. The side walls of the trough l3 project outwardly a greater distance than the side traces of the cylinder 12, thus providing metallic guard members which prevent the wide diffusion of pieces of the firecracker under the force of its explosion. This ferrule may, of course, be readily and cheaply made by recourse to well known metal working operations.

The trough of the ferrule is of such size as to receive and partially encompass a firecracker I4, when inserted in the device, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The firecracker is adequately held in the trough by a retractable slip member l5, pivotally secured to the stick ID. The clip member I5 is formed from a. single piece of metal, advan- 1937, Serial No. 131,899

tageously by die pressing operations, into the slightly curvilinear form shown, with downwardly extending side margins I6 and centrally disposed ears IT. The ears I! are so spaced as to engage the stick I 0 at diametrically opposed points, and are secured thereto by a through pin IS.

The forward end IQ of the clip 15 extends over the trough of the ferrule H, and is formed with outstanding wings 2| which are bent slightly below the horizontal plane, so that the wings 2| and side walls l3 of the ferrule practically encompass the firecracker to prevent the scattering of fragments upon explosion. As the stick I0 is intended to be of such length as to discourage an attempt to point the firecracker in toward the body, it will thus be seen that, in normal and natural use, the child using the device will be fully protected from flying bits of paper or powder which might otherwise cause injury.

The portion of the extension [9 overlying the trough of the ferrule II is formed with a downwardly struck tongue 22, which engages and clamps the firecracker M, as best shown in Fig. 1. In order to maintain a suificiently tight contact, a spring leaf 23 is inserted under the clip IS in free resilient engagement at one end, while the other end is held under the cylinder l2 and against the stick it). The spring thus serves to keep the tongue 22 pressed down into the trough of the ferrule, but manual pressure on the end of the clip I5 is sufiicient to raise the tongue to permit insertion of a firecracker. The fixed end of the spring furthermore serves as a wedge or shim to enhance the engagement of the ferrule on the stick, thereby simplifying the assembly.

It has been found that even small firecrackers have enough explosive force to split clamps or ferrules made of wood, and therefore the present invention utilizes metal for the parts around the firecracker, and a wooden handle to give lighter weight.

It will, of course, be understood that while the invention has been described with reference to a single specific embodiment, modifications and changes may be resorted to without departure therefrom, as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A firecracker holder comprising a stick adapted to be held in the hand, a metallic ferrule disposed on the end of the stick, said ferrule having a trough portion extending beyond the end of the stick, a clip member pivotally mounted on the stick adjacent the ferrule, said clip having a forwardly extending portion overlying trough portion of the ferrule, a downwardly struck tongue on said extending portion adapted to engage a firecracker disposed in said trough portion, and a spring disposed under the clip to urge said forwardly extending portion toward said trough.

2. A firecracker holder comprising a stick adapted to be held in the hand, a ferrule disposed on the end of the stick, said ferrule having a cylindrical stick engaging portion and a projecting trough portion, a clip pivotally mounted on the stick adjacent the ferrule, said clip having a forwardly extendingwportion overlying the trough,

and a spring disposed under the clip to urge said forwardly extending portion toward the trough, said spring having one end engaged between said stick and said cylindrical portion and the other end in free resilient engagement with the under side of the clip.

3. A firecracker holder comprising a stick adapted to be held in the hand, a one piece ferrule disposed on the end of the stick, said ferrule comprising a cylindrical portion encircling the end of the stick and a trough portion projecting beyond the end of the stick and having wings spaced beyond the side traces of the stick, a one piece clip member formed with down-turned spaced ears at substantially the mid portion thereof, said ears being pivotally secured to said stick at a point more remote from the end thereof than said ferrule, a spring disposed beneath the under side of the clip and between the ferrule and stick to urge one end of the clip resiliently toward said trough, said end of the clip overlying said trough and being formed with a downstruck tongue adapted to engage a firecracker disposed in the trough, said end being formed with side flanges adapted to cooperate with the Wings 01 said trough to shield said firecracker.

ROBERT E. SCHOOLEY. 

